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Rolling out Project Sponsor Education
An approach for PMOs
Project Sponsors are usually senior executives, indeed successful executives who, most often, don’t really know how to effectively govern projects. They apply their business acumen, operational management skills and any project knowledge they may have to the task and hope they’re doing the right thing.
Some executives are confident in their Sponsorship role, albeit not competent. Others recognize the need for some knowledge, guidance and support.
Rolling out a Project Sponsor Education and Support Program therefore requires
- Clear measurable outcomes — target measures of success
- Executive buy-in
- Personal education and mentoring
- Ongoing support
- Outcomes/results measurement
Our approach addresses these five elements.
1 Clear measurable outcomes
When commencing an Education and Support Program you need to be sure you know what you’re trying to achieve and how you will measure that you’ve got there.
We have identified four key measurable target education outcomes for Project Sponsors AND two for you, the PMO.
These ‘desired business outcomes’ can be used to both explain the goals and purpose of the education program as well asmeasure its success.
These outcomes are:
For Project Sponsors, I will be successful when:
I fully understand my role (as a Sponsor/Steering Committee Member) and its accountabilities. I feel confident and on top of things on the project, and able to make a positive contribution to all of my projects’ success through making decisions quicker and more easily, achieving more in less time and with less stress, and avoiding the common mistakes.
I have access to expert knowledge and advice to help me understand the key aspects of the governance roles and to deal with issues and challenges as they arise. This increases my confidence and competency, resulting in increased project success and the reinforcement of my reputation as someone ‘who makes things happen’ through other people using highly effective project governance techniques.
My (learned governance) skills and knowledge enable me to lead and direct my project (rather than react or follow) putting me in control of the project’s outcomes and allowing me to focus on the right issues in the right way. I can distinguish between good and bad advice and pre-empt issues before they arise. This is ‘my’ project, I own it and am proud of its success. Project Governance is now one of my core competencies so that I am unable to be ‘blindsided’ by any aspect of the project.
We are working as one with the Project Team, jointly focused on delivering clearly understood desired and expected business outcomes and value, generating both a high degree of personal satisfaction in doing an excellent job, and receiving peer and top management recognition for delivering a successful project.
For the PMO, we will be successful when:
Project governance skills are seen by executives as essential for them to be an effective contributor to project success and as a desirable adjunct to their existing knowledge and skills base. Executives request to be trained and supported in their project governance roles so as to make their projects run more smoothly (with less effort and stress) and deliver the desired business outcomes more easily and successfully.
Executives, having obtained training and experience in project governance, are seen to increase their commitment to and ownership of their projects, viewing their role as an opportunity to ‘make a difference’ rather than as any obligation or chore.
2 Executive buy-in
While most executives are willing to admit (at least privately) that Project Sponsorship is not one of their core competencies, a few are not. These latter executives often have the least level of understanding that ‘project governance’ is different to operational management.
Buy-in needs to address
- the need for education
- the value to be gained by them individually (WIIFM)
- the scope of the education
- the education process.
The need can also be established in terms of “these are your knowledge gaps that we will fill”. The latter approach requires some individual ‘current state’ capture through our “Project Sponsor Assessment Questionnaire”.
This questionnaire requires the executives to score their level of competence against a list of Project Sponsor required skills and knowledge on a six point scale from ‘None’ to ‘Master’. To avoid any over-statement of skills, any scores of ‘Expert’ or above have to be justified to validate the claim.
The questionnaire asks them to assess the importance of the Sponsorship skills, their level of expertise and the effectiveness of their training in these areas to date.
To encourage frankness, these questionnaires can be treated as totally confidential and only seen by an outside party.
NB The same questionnaire can be re-used later, in conjunction with the outcomes measurement, to measure the education program’s effectiveness.
To assess their willingness to be trained, the questionnaire asks them to score their need for education. Only where this question is scored as ‘None’ will some further pre-selling be required.
This pre-selling can be supported by the provision of “The Project Sponsor Charter (and Continuous Checklist)”and the “Project Sponsor Quick Reference Guide”. These two documents can be used to illustrate the expectations of the role and highlight any areas of executive concern.
(The selling of the need for project sponsor/governance training can be underscored by a corporate announcement that this is now a required and expected core skill of all executives.)
3 Project Sponsor Education
The education has most value when it is
- private - no fear of embarrassment or peer evaluation
- project-relevant - can be applied immediately to one or more current projects/programs
- progressive - learn and apply, learn more and apply, …
- supported - with education and reference materials, and access to ‘on call’ help
This Program progressively, over six sessions, lifts the executive’s understanding of and competence in a range of project governance topics including scope management, value management, project control, resource selection and management and the leading indicators of failure.
However, Project Sponsors often find real benefit in the specific discussions that accompanying the education - hence our education is supported by a series of half-hour discussions with a project governance expert.
The Education can also focus on the key areas the Project Steering Committee and be provided through a concurrent, progressive Steering Committee Education and Support Program - available from
www.beingaprojectsteeringcommiteemember.com (coming soon)
4 Ongoing support
We have developed for Project Sponsors a range of knowledge, guidance and support tools to help them perform their roles effectively. These tools include
“The Complete Project Sponsor Handbook” - the most complete ‘bible’ for Project Sponsors that they can refer to when they have issues or questions to address. Covering over 80 topics and FAQs, it has been valued at between US$2500 and US$3000. This Handbook is an indispensable help to busy executives.
‘Value Delivery Management’ Newsletters - quick, one-page regular newsletters that deal with specific topics or ideas fast and give practical ongoing advice.
“The Essential Governance Guide to Controlling Systems Costs” - a business-based guide to enable business executives to define and control, in business terms, their system’s 12 parameters that most impact the total cost of (system) ownership (TCO).
5 Outcomes measurement
At the conclusion of the education program (or part of it) you will be able to
A measure that the desired business outcomes have been achieved
B measure the increase in the Project Sponsors’ competency levels
C have the Project Sponsors evaluate their perception of the education’s value.
This three-way measurement approach ensures
- the organization gets its value
- the individuals get their value
- and this value is articulated, recognized and appreciated.
With our Project Sponsor Education approach clear ‘desired business outcomes’ are targeted, tracked and measured — to ensure you get the results you desire.
Guarantee
All of our products come with an unconditional guarantee, making them wholly risk-free purchases. If for any reason you are not satisfied with any of our products simply return it to us and we’ll happily refund your order costs in full.
We haven’t been in business since 1994 without providing lasting value to our clients. Indeed, our Business Project Governance Programs were selected as one of “Australia’s Outstanding Product Innovations” in 2004.
NB Individual copies need to be purchased for each Project Sponsor. For corporate prices for 10 or more Sponsors, contact Jed@project-sponsor.com
| The Summary Guide to Project Governance |
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US$29 | Buy Now This helps them to understand what project governance is. A short, focused guide to the 24 essential dimensions of Project Governance so that they can, in 10 minutes or so, understand how effective governance contributes to project success and, importantly, how ineffective governance can destroy projects. This handy guide gives them a quick overview of the length, breadth and depth of project governance and the impact of the non-performance of their role. Click here to see an excerpt (first 6 pages) |
| The Project Sponsor Charter |
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US$9.97 | Buy Now This helps them to know what to focus on. A summary definition of their roles and accountabilities - so that they can understand what is expected of them - PLUS the Project Sponsor Continuous Checklist - a very handy list of over 40 questions they should always know the answers to. |
| The Sponsor Quick Reference Guide |
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US$9.97 | Buy Now This explains the changing context of their role. A summary guide to their changing areas of focus, questions to ask and documents to expect at each of the four main stages of a project - set-up, planning, execution and close-down. This simple document makes clear how their role and focus changes as the project progresses. It is also a useful ready reference on key issues such as the ‘leading indicators of failure’ and project closure pre-requisites. |
| The Essential Governance Guide to Controlling Systems Cost |
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| US$197.00 | Buy Now This puts accountability for the total operating costs of the systems in business hands. How to control the development and ongoing total cost of ownership of systems by making 12 key decisions that control most of the systems-related costs. Discussed in business trade-off terms, this Guide puts the accountability for making these decisions squarely in the hands of the Project Sponsor. You can take them through the 12 dimensions, record their decisions and ensure your project then delivers to these parameters. This allows you and your Sponsor to set the framework for the systems solution in business terms. |
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| The Complete Project Sponsor Handbook |
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| US$997.00 | Buy Now This gives them a ‘bible’ to refer to. A comprehensive reference guide covering over 80 topics and FAQs, each addressed in one or two pages - short, sharp, relevant information. It provides them with the information and guidance they need to perform their role. Click here to see the table of contents and some examples from the handbook. An essential reference book once that, once in hand, many Sponsors treat it as their bible and even keep on their desks! Everyone who sees it says it should be selling for at least US$2500-US$3000! |
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| The Excellence Governance Newsletter |
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FREE!!! This gives them ongoing support and insights. |
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Why put up with a non-performing Sponsor any more?
The solution is now in your hands.
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OR
Complete Project Sponsor Program (consisting of one copy of all of the above products)
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US$1099!!!
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PS If you know fellow PMOs who also are having problems with their Sponsor and Governance Programs, get them to come to www.beingaprojectsponsor.com and start their education revolution.
To enroll yourself or a Sponsor in The Complete Project Sponsor Education and Support Program
Please enroll me in the six session Complete Project Sponsor Education and Support Program at a cost of US$997 per session. I would like my sessions to be monthly/ fortnightly/weekly or all at once (as per my selection in the form below). I agree for my credit card to be charged for each session. I can unsubscribe at any time incurring no further cost by sending an email to accounts@project-sponsor.com.
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